Quoile Yacht Club RIB Heats

Sunday 1^st June 2008

Ten Junior members entered the Club heats on a bright Sunday morning. The course was in front of the clubhouse and there were a lot of supporters at the club and on the yachts moored alongside the floating jetty

In the Junior (8-12 years) class David Patterson(8) was trying the event for the first time. A couple of runs with a best time of 3-23.4 put him in third place

Jack Crichton (9) drove two steady and safe laps and had a best time of 3-21.4

Sam Rickard (9) was the star of the morning and had a great winning time of 2-14.1

Jack and Sam go through to the Northern Ireland finals at East Down Yacht Club on 21^st June 2008

In the older (13-16) age group there were seven entrants including three young ladies who had just moved into into the older age group. This included Emma Sandford, a past NI Regional winner in the younger age group. Joining her were Emma Bready and Neave McKeating. All three girls had good times. Emma Sandford’s best time was 2-04.5. This was followed by Neave with a best run of 2-33.3 and Emma B with 3-44.4

The girls however were no match for the boys, who of course were older and have competed before in this class.

Gordon Baker was first to go and set the standard with a best time of 1-24.4. Patrick Gifford had two consistent runs and had a best time of 1-52.6.

Paul Magowan a past National winner was next on the course. Pauls first run was 1-28.6, slower that Gordon’s best run. However he pulled out all the stops in the next run with a best run of the day at 1-19.6. Last of the big group was Colin Stewart, also a NI finalist last year. Colin’s first run looked fast at 1-22.5. Unfortunately he touched a couple of marks and a very hard umpire decision gave him a 10 second penalty. Colin’s second run was even faster and a very fast slalom run through the buoys brought him to the ‘man overboard’ buoy. An approach which was too fast meant that he had trouble getting the lifering under control and that put him out of the running in the competition.

That means that Jack and Sam from the younger age group and Paul and Gordon go forward to the Regional finals at East Down Yacht Club on Saturday 21^st June.

Thanks to all who helped. Michael Bready and Drew Rickard who sat in the boats, and to John Magowan and Liam McKeating who were timekeepers on the workboat.